


Stained Glass

by zahrabane



Series: The Night Hours [Malec Codas] [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: 2x20 Coda, Comfort, Cuddling, Drinks, Hurt, In Love, M/M, Malec, small angst, soft boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-30 22:12:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12662463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zahrabane/pseuds/zahrabane
Summary: Alec comes home to find an upset and vulnerable Magnus after the political fallout from the war with Valentine. Malec is soft, Malec is political, and Malec is sexy, because Malec is everything.





	Stained Glass

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the tumblr prompt: “It’s super cliche and has been done like 300 times but what about Vulnerable depressed Magnus trying to drown his sorrows and Alec being there for him and holding him and Magnus opening up to him?” -- by bodysnvtchers 
> 
> This is set a little while after the finale of Season 2, a little bit based on some super quick moments from the Season 3 teaser. I’m not really sure where this fic ended up, definitely not where I intended it tbh. Things got messy.
> 
> Unbeta'd but I try. 
> 
> Come scream at me on tumblr [here](http://zahrabane.tumblr.com/%22%3E)

“Magnus?” Alec called as he entered the loft. It was dark, and the faint glow of a lamp in another room was the only sign of life. However by this time, Alec knew his way around. There was no answer to his call, so he slipped past the dark corridor, following the soft light into the living room. 

Magnus was slumped in a chair with a drink in his hand, swirling the contents and staring into the bottom of the glass as if it held life’s answers. This was unusual - not Magnus drinking, Alec had noticed he liked to have a drink after a particularly long day, or anytime guests were there, if only to have something to do with his hands other than magic. But generally, Magnus portrayed the perfect picture of ease, all long lines in the casual posture of a man who was powerful and comfortable with it. Tonight he was what Alec could only describe as crumpled, legs folded in on themselves in the chair so that he looked like he was trying to hold himself in one piece, his back rounded in towards his legs like his body just wanted to fold in on itself, keeping the world out. 

“Magnus,” Alec said, trying to keep the alarm out of his voice. 

“Hello, Alexander,” Magnus said, trying to put a small smile onto his face. If anything, the gesture just made him look more sad. 

Alec walked over and kissed Magnus’ forehead. “What’s wrong?” he asked. 

“I - just tired.”

“And?” Alec knew Magnus, and he knew better than to just let this go. 

“And, in desperate need of a drink with my boyfriend.” 

Magnus started to get up, and Alec took his hand to help him. “Come on,” Alec whispered, leaning in to give him a soft kiss. “Talk to me.”

Magnus sighed. “Okay. But first, drinks.” He led Alec over to the couch before heading to the bar, filling up his own glass with amber liquid and mixing something smoother into a cocktail glass for Alec. 

“Alright,” Alec agreed, as Magnus came back to the couch and handed him his drink. “I’ll drink with you, if you talk to me.” 

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Shadowhunter.” His tone was playful, but as he sat down on the couch, his head fell a little too heavily on Alec’s shoulder to be casual. Alec wrapped his arm around his shoulder, pulling him in and trying to make him as comfortable as possible. 

Alec took a sip of the drink Magnus had given him, gulping most of the burning liquid down before setting the glass on the coffee table. His hand came up to thread through Magnus’ hair, playing with the strands carefully, which he suspected Magnus liked. Alec’s suspicions were confirmed when Magnus nuzzled into his shoulder, snapping his fingers like an afterthought to remove the makeup from his face and the product from his hair, allowing Alec’s hands to slide more easily through the silky black strands. Alec’s heart broke at the site of the High Warlock of Brooklyn, more naked now it seemed than the first time Alec had seen him with his clothes off. There were so many sides to Magnus, so much to love, and his heart felt full as he dropped a kiss in Magnus’ hair. 

“Are you ready to talk?” Alec asked eventually. 

“Oh, Alexander.” Magnus lifted his head to knock back the rest of the drink. Alec took the empty glass from him, setting it on the table before pulling Magnus back into his hairs. “I’m just worried there will be hell to pay for the choices we’ve made during this war.” 

“As cryptic as when I first met you.”

“Politics are always cryptic. That is precisely the problem.”

“Are you worried about the fallout from the war with Valentine?” 

“The downworld cannot forgive the Clave for allowing this to happen so easily.”  
“And nor should they.” Alec sighed, looking at his skin flush against Magnus’, the angelic blood just beneath the surface of his runes thrumming in perfect contentment alongside the warmth of Magnus’ demonic blood. If only politics were fought with as much conviction as the love he felt every time he touched Magnus. “But the Clave, you know they’ll see the sides picked during this war as betrayal. The fey, the warlocks, the vampires, the Clave will think they need forgiving, not the other way around.” 

“I know. But things are shifting in the downworld too. They may not care about the Clave.”

“So then what’s really bothering you, Magnus?” 

“I fear - there have been talks - among the Warlocks in particular - of having downworld leaders in charge who are not so -  _ sympathetic  _ to the nephilim.”

Alec’s hand freezed in Magnus’ hair at this, dread overcoming him as he realized what Magnus was implying. Would politics  _ always _ come in the way of their relationship? 

“You mean,” Alec said, taking a deep breath, “that our relationship is threatening your position as High Warlock?”

“I didn’t - Alexander this isn’t your fault,” Magnus reassured him, and Alec’s heart broke again as Magnus confirmed that his work, his  _ life’s work _ was in jeopardy because of him.

“Be honest with me, Magnus.”

“There has been concern that our involvement makes me biased.”

Alec resumed running his fingers through Magnus’ hair absently, as if trying to keep himself grounded as his mind sped at a million miles per second. But looking down at Magnus, he knew he couldn’t be selfish. Magnus looked so vulnerable tonight, so trusting as he leant on Alec, laying both his mind and emotions bare. 

And Alec knew what he had to do with that trust. What was right, and honorable, for the man he loved, even if it broke his own heart. 

“Magnus, know that whatever decision you make, I support you. I know how much being High Warlock means to you, and if that means - if that’s something that has to be done without me -”

“Alexander,  _ no _ .” Magnus sat up, looking alarmed. “Being High Warlock does mean alot to me - it’s something I’ve worked centuries for. But the title - and the world I’m fighting for by extension - means nothing if I’m not free to love who I choose. And I choose you.” 

“I do not want to fight a war if our people are on different sides.” Alec seemed to be saying that a lot lately, all the people in his life being constantly torn because of war and politics and circumstances that felt too large for Alec to handle. 

“Alexander, just promise me this. When the next war comes, we will fight as a united front. No more secrets, no more political plays, no more choosing sides.” 

“Magnus, I - I give you my word. The Clave needs to change and if they don’t, well - I doubt they’ll allow me to work as one of their leaders much longer anyways, even if I wanted to. Because I refuse to fight any war that isn’t with and for the downworld.” 

Magnus nodded solemnly. “We should never have to choose between those we love and that which we dream to achieve. This world has always been crazy in that regard.” His eyelashes fell heavily on his cheek, and Alec ran his thumb along Magnus’ cheekbone, allowing him to lean into his palm. 

“I know life isn’t fair, Magnus. But know that I’ve got you. The Warlocks would be crazy to choose anyone else as High Warlock, but if that’s something you have to face, then we can face it together.” 

Magnus lifted his head at this, hand rising to touch Alec’s cheek. He looked Alec straight in the eye, as if trying to see the truth, as though he had been promised the world one to many times only to be left with nothing. Alec looked straight back, trying to convey all the love he felt, and he was surprised when he saw Magnus’ glamour slip, the last part of the armour he wore into the world falling aside. As Magnus’ glamour broke, Alec saw something break in the gold of his cat eyes as well. 

“I love you,” Magnus confessed, and before Alec could reply, Magnus’ mouth was on his. 

These kisses felt different than what Alec was used to. Alec still felt the familiar burn of Magnus’ facial hair against his cheek, the firm press of his soft lips, and the burnt-sugar taste of Magnus that Alec associated with his magic. It was always thrumming just below the surface of Magnus’ skin, like little shocks wanting to reach the surface and flow into Alec. But usually Magnus let Alec lead the kiss, so careful not to overstep any of Alec’s boundaries. The edges of his hunger for Magnus were dulled only by his own hesitancy, and his need to be gentle even when he knew Magnus could probably take him all, for all his strength and need. This time, Magnus dominated, and it was like an acknowledgement that neither of the men had to be handled with any gentleness whatsoever after the hell they had just been through. They had fought to simply be together, and they would fight to remain together, pushing skin against skin until the world could not deny that they had united heaven and hell into something stronger, more human. Magnus’ magic seemed to bubble over the surface of his skin, spilling straight into Alec. 

Something opened up between them, and Alec felt his self control shatter like the stained glass windows of the Institute that control had been so carefully crafted in were shattering into a million pieces themselves. He gasped and pulled his lips away from Magnus’, even as his body moved and pressed up against him. 

“Magnus,” Alec breathed into his skin, but Magnus didn’t seem to hear him, lost in devouring the rune on Alec’s neck. “Magnus,” Alec repeated, using his fingertips to guide Magnus’ cheek up so that he was forced to look at Alec. 

“Are you sure this is what you need right now?” Alec asked. But he knew the answer already, could feel it thrumming beneath Magnus’ skin like energy rushing out to grasp on to Alec.

“I need you,” Magnus replied simply.

“You have me, always.” Magnus hummed in contentment as he buried his face back into Alec’s neck.

“Let’s go to bed,” he whispered against Alec’s skin. 

So Alec followed Magnus into the bedroom, the place they had first given themselves to each other, hesitantly, nervously. This time, Alec was determined to give himself fully to Magnus, without holding back, exactly as he knew Magnus needed him right now. 


End file.
